Oeno-File

The Oeno-File: Robert Parker Cedes California, and a 1773 Vintage Sells For a Lot of Cash

Smell ya later, Parker!
Smell ya later, Parker!

• The big wine-world news this week: The Wine Advocate’s Robert M. Parker Jr., often called “the most powerful critic in the world, in any field,” is abdicating his reign over California wine to colleague Antonio Galloni. Parker will continue to cover the Rhône and Bordeaux. [NYT]

• A 237-year-old bottle of Jura wine, a 1773 vintage from the reign of Louis XV, sold at auction for €57,000. The buyer plans to pop the cork and drink it. [Decanter]

• Higher end wineries with inventory to spare, hesitant to discount their bottles to distributors or Trader Joe’s for fear of tarnishing their reputations, are turning to “flash” sites like Wine Woot and Wine Spies to move hundreds of cases at deep discounts before any of their regular customers notice. [Napa Valley Register]

• Oregon winemakers are a friendly, quirky bunch, says the Journal. [WSJ]

• Given the weird weather, growers are shocked — shocked — at how large the 2010 harvest turned out to be, according to a recent crush report. [Wines and Vines, Napa Valley Register]

The Oeno-File: Robert Parker Cedes California, and a 1773 Vintage Sells For a